Illegal Pitching

[Freak13]

I don't understand the lack of enforcing the rules when it pertains to illegal pitching. Blue has no problem calling out a pitcher that touches her mouth/nose or takes to long to deliver a pitch but turns a blind eye to Crow Hopping and Leaping.
Why are these basic pitching rules being over looked?
1. Unqualified pitching coaches trying to cash in.
2. Bad TB coaches who either don't understand pitching or choose to overlook it because there pitcher is having success and not being called on it.
3. Umpires lack the training in this specific area.

When questioning officials during games these are usually the responses.
"I don't see anything wrong"
"That's not an unfair advantage"
"She's not leaving the ground there's a divot in that area and she's allowed to do that"

Bottom line Bad Coaching and Umpires are not helping pitchers in there long term success they're setting them up for failure!!!!

 

[GunnerShotgun]

I wouldn't get too excited unless a pitcher is crow hopping.

 

[NVfishing]

My DD has issues with it. She gets called on it because other teams get in the umpires ear. I've watched other girls have even worse leaps and there's no calls. The coaches won't say anything if they can hit off the pitcher.

 

[JJS]

I agree with you. A rule is a rule. Either enforce the rules, or change them.

 

[Comp]

I agree there are plenty of umpires who seem to just refuse to call illegal pitches, but, in answer to the responses you say you get.

"I don't see anything wrong"

What in your opinion you believe to be an illegal pitch may not be. There are plenty of times coaches complain about something a pitcher is doing that there is absolutely nothing wrong with.

"That's not an unfair advantage"

If you get that response from an umpire you really need to learn the words, "I am Protesting" and summon the UIC. NOWHERE in the rule book does it ever mention gaining an unfair advantage. That response by an official is essentially admitting they are seeing the infraction but refusing to call it.

"She's not leaving the ground there's a divot in that area and she's allowed to do that"

If there is a hole in the ground and the pitchers foot is no higher than the surrounding ground, the umpire is 100% correct in their response. The pitcher is not required to maintain contact when a hole has been formed, but, the foot can be no higher than the surrounding ground.

 

[4 girl's dad]

I wouldn't get too excited unless a pitcher is crow hopping.

Why not? In most instances I have seen, as soon as a pitcher is told to keep their drag foot on the ground, their pitching suffers. They are now having to focus on dragging and pitching (like my pitcher does). I know we have to let pitchers develop but when my pitcher is following the rules and yours isn't, it's an unfair advantage.



I had an ump the last tourney we were in tell me the divot was too deep for the pitcher to drag through. After my pitcher finished the inning, I had him go look at the trail she was leaving through the divot. Never got the call but it made my point and made me feel better.



Just follow the rules as written.

 

[JAD]

College umpires seldom call illegal pitches until they get to the WCWS. Why would younger pitchers worry about their mechanics if the college pitchers are doing the same thing? If the umpires would tighten down on the college pitchers it would eventually filter down into HS and TB. Pitchers who want to play in college would want to fix their mechanics before bad habits became ingrained.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

I wouldn't get too excited unless a pitcher is crow hopping.

Why not? In most instances I have seen, as soon as a pitcher is told to keep their drag foot on the ground, their pitching suffers. They are now having to focus on dragging and pitching (like my pitcher does).

Yes. The opposing team gains an advantage when they request the base umpire to focus on it.

 

[JAD]

Bad TB coaches who either don't understand pitching or choose to overlook it because there pitcher is having success and not being called on it.

I would like to point out that 98.2% of TB coaches are NOT responsible for their pitchers pitching mechanics. That is between the pitcher, her parents, and their pitching coach. We had 4 pitchers on our team last season and all 4 were different. The TB coach (or catcher) is only responsible for calling pitches. Most TB coach do not attend pitching lessons, do not spend 3-4 days a week sitting on a bucket working on pitches. If one or our pitches had a problem with an umpire calling her for illegal pitches we would simply replace her in the circle, not try to "fix it" in the middle of a game. It might be different in lower level TB and REC programs, but in high level TB pitchers are not caudaled. Pitching is a HUGE commitment of time, money and sacrifice by the entire family outside of regular practices and the pitcher is responsible for her own success or failure. This is why pitchers parents are a little psycho....

 

[grcsftbll]

Just a little.